Schwarzenegger
vetoes same-sex marriage bill

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday followed through on a promise to veto a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in California, saying the issue should be decided by voters or the courts. "This bill simply adds confusion to a constitutional issue," the Republican governor said in a veto message. "If the ban of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, this bill is not necessary. If the ban is constitutional, this bill is ineffective."

"The governor has simply delayed--not ended--the inevitability of marriage equality in California," said Geoffrey Kors, executive director for the gay rights group Equality California, which sponsored the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act killed by Schwarzenegger. "When called upon to take a position on the civil rights issue of the day, Governor Schwarzenegger decided to block the doorway to equality. As a result of his veto, hundreds of thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Californians and their families will continue to live without equal protection of the law."

"Log Cabin expresses deep disappointment in Governor Schwarzenegger's decision to veto legislation recognizing civil marriage equality," said Patrick Guerriero, president of the gay GOP group Log Cabin Republicans. "Log Cabin Republicans take the governor at his word that if, and when, the courts of California join the legislature in recognizing the right to civil marriage equality, he will uphold and support that decision."

Guerriero thanked Schwarzenegger for sending a strong signal to the people of California that he will not allow the initiative process to marginalize gay and lesbian families. In his veto message, Schwarzenegger also said, "I support current domestic-partner rights and will continue to vigorously defend and support these rights...and will not support any rollback."

Guerriero also praised the governor for signing four significant pieces of legislation of importance to the LGBT community: Assembly Bill 1400, the Civil Rights Act of 2005, adds sexual orientation and marital status to the Unruh Civil Rights Act; AB1586 prohibits discrimination based on gender identity in health care plans; SB565 amends existing law to treat registered domestic partners the same as married couples regarding property tax reappraisal when a partner passes away; and SB973 amends existing law to allow public employees who retired before the state's domestic-partnership law went into effect to add a domestic partner as a beneficiary. (Advocate.com)